In May, we celebrate nurses for their commitment to patients and the institution of nursing. The American Nurses Association has declared the theme of National Nurses Week 2018, May 6-12, "Nurses: Inspire, Innovate, Influence." This special Nurses Week tribute reminds us of the original mission behind what we do.
The constant pressure and activity of the ED can be extremely stressful and take a toll on nurses of all experience levels. Unfortunately, the demanding nature of this job can sometimes make us forget why we became nurses in the first place.
During one of my first orientation days in the ED, I was assigned to care for a patient who was admitted to the telemetry unit and waiting for a bed on the unit to become available. I had the privilege of caring for this patient for most of my shift.
It was a very busy day; patients kept arriving at the ED, one after another. Amid all the commotion, I could hear the charge nurse telling other nurses that we must maintain patient throughput by streamlining all processes that impact patient flow. There came a point where I was challenged to prioritize my nursing care. Some patients needed medications; some required blood work and venous access; some waited for discharge; and others waited for beds on other units. Everyone needed something, and all of them needed it now. I thought I could not be a good ED nurse if I could not perform every task immediately.
I started feeling exhausted and frustrated; near the end of my shift I really struggled, despite being on orientation with a preceptor at my side. A bed on the telemetry unit finally became available for my patient. I needed to get him upstairs, but when was I going to have time to leave the busy ED and transport the patient? And when was I going to find a transport team member to help move the patient? I felt so overwhelmed that when I looked at my preceptor, my facial expression must have said it all. She told me three very important words that got me back on track: "Be an advocate." Suddenly, I found a new sense of calm and focus.
Renewed purpose
At that moment, I stopped looking at my tasks as things to check off a list, but instead as people who needed my help. My admitted patient had been waiting for hours in the ED. All the other interventions could wait a few minutes until I returned.
When my patient finally arrived on the telemetry unit, he thanked me for taking such good care of him. He said he noticed how busy it was in the ED and appreciated me taking the time to care for him and explain what was going on throughout the day. Moments like this remind me of why I became a nurse-to help people. Patient advocacy is our most important duty as nurses. I thank all my preceptors for teaching me about the importance of patient advocacy. To this day, I keep this purpose in the forefront of my mind and use it as inspiration during the busiest shifts.